Russia’s S-400 is a disgrace in Syria, says Brigadier General Abdolrahim Mousavi

Brigadier General Kiumars Heidari. Photo by IRNA

Tensions are escalating between Iran and Israel. Israel has said it had destroyed nearly all of Iran’s military capabilities in Syria. It was reportedly retaliation for an Iranian missile attack on the Golan Heights. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s meeting with President Joe Biden comes as tensions rise with its regional arch-enemy, Iran, and Israel renews its bombardment of the Syrian Latakia port.

Israel hits Iranian targets

Israel has routinely carried out airstrikes on Syria since the civil war began in 2011, mostly targeting Syrian government troops, allied Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters.

Iran finances, arms, and commands many Syrian and foreign militia groups fighting alongside the regular armed forces, including fighters from Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The latest attack was the second time in a month that it had hit the port of Latakia in the heartland of Bashar Assad’s minority Alawite community.  So far this year, Israel has targeted Syria nearly 30 times, killing 130 people, including five civilians and 125 loyalist fighters, according to Observatory figures.

S-400 SAM is a disgrace

Speaking to IRNA in an interview published on Sunday, Brigadier General Kiumars Heidari said they do not trust the Russian S-400 against Israeli F-16 and F-35 fighter jets. Russian S-300 and S-400 are disgraced in Syria.  

Syrian Latakia Port is protected by layers of air defense systems, including S-400 and Pantsir-S1.

Armed forces take advantage of domestic equipment, techniques and tactics, Heidari said, the S-400 is a foolish surface-to-air missile.

Despite the protection of the Russian air defense system, Israeli warplanes launched devastating airstrikes early on Tuesday targeting the Syrian port of Latakia, destroying weapons and ammunition storage depots operated by Iran, reports Al Jazeera news.

Israeli airstrikes against targets in Syria may be one of the main reasons for the growing crisis between Russia and Turkey. They’re highlighting the Russian-made S-400 air defense systems may not be as effective as Turkey believed.

Iran unveiled a long-range surface-to-air missile system, dubbed “Bavar-373”, in August, saying the missile system is Russian counterpart S-300. Heidari said it is possible that Hezbollah operatives have trained on Iran’s Bavar-373. Bavar-373 is a mobile missile defense system designed to intercept and destroy incoming hostile targets.

Touted more advanced than S-300 by Heidari, however, an Israeli F-16 fighter jet successfully penetrated Syrian airspace protected by BAVAR-373 and destroyed a missile launcher of BAVAR-373.

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